If one hobby or interest of mine had to be chosen to be an example of my “Personal Expertise” I would have to elect my 100% completion of the videogame Super Mario 64. After pouring many hours into collecting the game’s total of 120 stars, the painting worlds of Peach’s Castle became a mark on my mind. I came to learn all the “ins and outs” of the stages as well as the playable character, Mario, himself. From the slippery slopes of Cool Cool Mountain to the scorching heat of Lethal Lava Land, no Power Star could escape my grasp.
My adventure began approximately 12 years ago at a friend’s house just down the street. We were all marveling his new N64 console as well as the stunning graphics of the game being played, Super Mario 64. To be fair (since it was a single player game) we decided to take turns playing by trading off when the current player lost a life. Now this was my first encounter with Super Mario 64 so, although eager, I was considered quite inferior in regards to my gameplay. With the passing of 10 minutes and 2 of Mario’s lives, my turn was up. I finally felt the smooth surface of the N64 controller in my hand. My thumb gladly placed itself upon the sturdy control stick awaiting my commands.
Alas, disaster struck within seconds of my turn. As I scurried down the path of Bob-omb Battlefield, heading to face King Bob-omb himself, a large black blur shot my way from the corner of the screen. I was taken off my feet and had just enough time to recover before my mysterious enemy swiftly executed his second attack. With a quick press of the right C-button, I was able to change my camera view and take a look upon the face of my ominous foe. The culprit was none other than a Chain Chomp, and as I held down hard on the control stick, hoping to escape in time, his great black body leaped forth at me stealing my last two remaining heart pieces and ending my turn.
I was humiliated. I could hardly bare to look my friends in the eye as they laughed at my feeble attempt. At that moment I knew what I had to do to earn not only their respect, but my own. I would become the greatest Super Mario 64 champion that ever was. I would master his beautifully executed triple-jump and scale the height of each level with a combination of powerful wall kicks. No star would remain held captive as long as I had electricity in my home. I would defeat Bowser and save the castle not only for Peach, but for myself.
I was soon able to borrow the game cartridge from a different and more supportive friend. Progress was slow in the beginning, but eventually my mistakes became small and few in number. Hidden 1-ups were found in a matter of minutes, Goombas slain left and right, 100-Coin Stars were (after many tries) successfully obtained and stored. Much effort and determination was put into the game, and its completion was soon to become a reality. Finally, after much exhaustion of my thumb, all 120 stars were restored along with the peace of the worlds. As I rocketed myself to the backside of the castle, I knew that a special reward was awaiting me to repay all my hard work.
If one hobby or interest of mine had to be chosen to be an example of my “Personal Expertise” I would have to elect my 100% completion of the videogame Super Mario 64. After pouring many hours into collecting the game’s total of 120 stars, the painting worlds of Peach’s Castle became a mark on my mind. I came to learn all the “ins and outs” of the stages as well as the playable character, Mario, himself. From the slippery slopes of Cool Cool Mountain to the scorching heat of Lethal Lava Land, no Power Star could escape my grasp.
My adventure began approximately 12 years ago at a friend’s house just down the street. We were all marveling his new N64 console as well as the stunning graphics of the game being played, Super Mario 64. To be fair (since it was a single player game) we decided to take turns playing by trading off when the current player lost a life. Now this was my first encounter with Super Mario 64 so, although eager, I was considered quite inferior in regards to my gameplay. With the passing of 10 minutes and 2 of Mario’s lives, my turn was up. I finally felt the smooth surface of the N64 controller in my hand. My thumb gladly placed itself upon the sturdy control stick awaiting my commands.
Alas, disaster struck within seconds of my turn. As I scurried down the path of Bob-omb Battlefield, heading to face King Bob-omb himself, a large black blur shot my way from the corner of the screen. I was taken off my feet and had just enough time to recover before my mysterious enemy swiftly executed his second attack. With a quick press of the right C-button, I was able to change my camera view and take a look upon the face of my ominous foe. The culprit was none other than a Chain Chomp, and as I held down hard on the control stick, hoping to escape in time, his great black body leaped forth at me stealing my last two remaining heart pieces and ending my turn.
I was humiliated. I could hardly bare to look my friends in the eye as they laughed at my feeble attempt. At that moment I knew what I had to do to earn not only their respect, but my own. I would become the greatest Super Mario 64 champion that ever was. I would master his beautifully executed triple-jump and scale the height of each level with a combination of powerful wall kicks. No star would remain held captive as long as I had electricity in my home. I would defeat Bowser and save the castle not only for Peach, but for myself.
I was soon able to borrow the game cartridge from a different and more supportive friend. Progress was slow in the beginning, but eventually my mistakes became small and few in number. Hidden 1-ups were found in a matter of minutes, Goombas slain left and right, 100-Coin Stars were (after many tries) successfully obtained and stored. Much effort and determination was put into the game, and its completion was soon to become a reality. Finally, after much exhaustion of my thumb, all 120 stars were restored along with the peace of the worlds. As I rocketed myself to the backside of the castle, I knew that a special reward was awaiting me to repay all my hard work.